Golf is a sport that, to be played well, demands a significant amount of practice. Practice for golf can only be had by performing as many stroke repetitions as possible to create the muscle memory to reproduce an effective swing or putt. The problem is that to strike a large number of balls, the player must either collect all the balls hit, or pay for someone else to do it. The latter method, i.e. buying a bucket of balls at a driving range, is quite often the method of choice, but can become quite expensive.
Therefore, many players use a "shag bag" or similar device that contains a significant number of practice balls. The player takes his bag and club(s) to the practice area, and drops some or all of the balls on the ground. The player then hits the balls toward a target for his practice session. The problem arises in that the balls must then be retrieved.
The prior art discloses many devices that utilize a tubular element in which to collect balls. Typically, these devices are constructed with a restricting means in a first end. The golf balls are forced past the restricting means and into the tube storage area. The tube is then inverted to release balls from the other end of the tube. Some examples of this type of prior art device are the "Apparatus for Retrieving Disbursed Objects" by Duncan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,510, issued Apr. 10, 1996; the "Ball Retrieving and Storage Device" by Hockey, U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,027, issued Nov. 14, 1995; "Devices for Picking Up Balls" by Parkinson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,336, issued Nov. 15, 1977; and the "Deformable Ball Retrieving, Retaining, and Dispensing Device" by Summers, U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,410, issued Feb. 23, 1993.
One problem with these straight tube devices is that the tube must be inverted to dispense the balls. With a storage tube of any size, this can be an awkward and unwieldy operation.
One prior art device addresses this drawback by installing a releasable detent in an open end of the tube. The "Golf Ball Dispensing and Retrieving System" of Tiller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,101, issued Sep. 15, 1992, discloses a tubular device with a detent mechanism that is pushed aside to allow the ball to enter the tube, and then is released by a triggering mechanism when the user wishes to use the balls for practice. One limitation to the Tiller device is that it envisions placing the tube in a stationary position and operating the release mechanism with either a user's hand or the golf club.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tubular golf ball retrieving and dispensing device that includes a release means that allows the user to dispense balls from the same end of the tube in which the balls are collected.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that allows the user to move about while dispensing balls so that the balls are not dispensed in a single location.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a convenient handle means at an end of the tube distal from the ball retrieving/dispensing end.